For those that have attended the 2020 Church Mental Health Summit and would like to access to all of the resources and statistics I discuss in this presentation, you can access it here. Use them for your sermons, to educate your volunteers, staff, and parents, or utilize them to start up an mental health inclusion ministry. (If you missed it, you can go catch the All-Access Pass here.)
[Read more…] about Church Mental Health Summit Resources
Sneak Preview of Our Presentation [Video]
[This article is part of a youth ministry series we have been writing about for years. Click the link to check out all of the other articles we have here.]
We told you about speaking at the Church Mental Health Summit this weekend on October 10 for World Mental Health Day. We were able to get permission to release the first 5 minutes of the presentation for you to watch now. So we encourage you to check out the video below and then go over and sign up for my presentation this Sunday at 12pm noon.
Dealing With Uncertainty
Right now is a whole list of uncertainties all around the world. Here in the United States, it has been COVID-19 shutdowns, protests with violence, what will learning look like for students, will I get lose my job or find one to replace what I lost, and now what will happen with the election of the president. Dealing with uncertainty has many layers to it that I want to open up and identify with regards to how we as Christians can healthily and unhealthily approach it.
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Negative Thoughts and God [Video]
We love our friends over at Grace Alliance and so when they put out a video that talks about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy’s negative thoughts and how it relates to to spirituality with God, we knew we had to share it. Go check out a great talk by Joe Padilla on how these two things integrate and how pastors and therapists can work with the whole person and not just something spiritual or cognitive/emotional.
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Fathers Matter, Even When Incarcerated [Video]
Recently I attended a two-day training for mental health and substance use providers who are partnering with Child Protective Services to better serve adults and youth who are involved in courts due to abuse or neglect. In that time, a video jumped out as not only inspiring and joy-filling but hits at a core tenet that God commands to Christian families, that fathers be involved in their children’s lives.
[Read more…] about Fathers Matter, Even When Incarcerated [Video]See Us At The Church Mental Health Summit Conference
At the beginning of the year, we were excited to talk to you about three different conferences we would be at, one of them we announced, and the other two that were canceled before any material was published. The pandemic has really changed the landscape of a lot of things, including the conference scene.
[Read more…] about See Us At The Church Mental Health Summit ConferenceSuicide Prevention Resources for Churches
September is suicide prevention month and we want to be able to equip churches with resources whether you are in the midst of someone who is suicidal or wanting to simply be prepared. Suicide does not impact just one person or family. We know that when someone commits suicide, the rate of suicide in the area goes up significantly for others who knew that individual.
Talking about suicide does not encourage it, but actually drives down rates of suicide. Further, because you identify yourself as a resource, even a resource to link people to counseling or other agencies, we know this helps save lives.
[Read more…] about Suicide Prevention Resources for Churches
Hope-Filled Suicide Prevention [Video]
If you didn’t know, September is National Suicide Awareness Month and one of the leading Christian voices in this area for the Church is Kay Warren who has her own life experience after her son committed suicide over seven years ago. She has made it her mission through her ministry Hope4MentalHealth to bring awareness about suicide and suicide prevention.
She just released a video with Dan Adams who is with Sources of Strength, a youth suicide prevention program using social media to educate teens and communities about suicide, bullying, and substance abuse.
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Jesus And Exhaustion
I’m part of several youth and senior pastor groups that have been struggling with this time during the pandemic with burnout and exhaustion. In fact, I’m concerned that many people have found themselves to the point of being traumatized. Webinars, low attendance, letting go of staff, being fired yourself, and conflict due to masks or politics that make it feel as if Jesus is not at the forefront of the conversation.
Just because ministry is your calling does not mean you can avoid burnout. I’ve seen too many good ministers make bad choices because they hit a point of exhaustion.
[Read more…] about Jesus And Exhaustion
Art of Listening [Video]
Listening is an art form. we take it for granted because it is hard not to hear things but to truly listen to someone without distractions can be tough. Even in the time you clicked this link, read this paragraph, and think about clicking the video below, how many times have you gotten a notification on your phone, thought about a task you have to do later today or have a memory pop into your head that takes away even some time from paying attention.
Working with adults and families about Jesus and mental health requires that we hear the individuals fully, understanding we need to be fully present with them. This is a skill that, just like any skill, needs to be learned and practiced.
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